Teofimo Lopez says he’s taking the fight with IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis because he’s “Doing what is right” as a world champion.
Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) and Boots (33-0, 29 KOs) are in negotiations for a cross-promotional, joint broadcast DAZN & ESPN event for early 2025. The Top Rank-promoted Teofimo will move up from 140 to challenge Ennis for his IBF 147-lb strap.
Boots’ Big Break
If the fight gets made, it would be easily the biggest one of either fighter’s career. The Matchroom-promoted Boots has never fought a big name before, and it’s about time he finally fought on PPV in a headliner. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, has been met with resistance by the other champions at 147, who want a massive amount of money to fight him.
Ennis needs this fight after choosing not to go up to 154 to challenge WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on February 22nd. If Boots drags his feet on making a fight with Teofimo as well, Hearn may need to develop an exit strategy for him to finish out his contract with Matchroom and wash his hands of the reluctant Philadelphia native.
Since his victory over Vasily Lomachenko in 2020, Teofimo has repeatedly been matched against disappointing opposition by Top Rank. It’s unclear whether Teo has played a part in the big fights that are not happening. His refusal to fight guys like Keyshawn Davis could indicate that it’s not entirely Top Rank’s fault that he hasn’t fought any high-level fighters in years.
